James Hahn

James Hahn
Hahn in 2014
Judge of the Los Angeles County Superior Court
Assumed office
November 5, 2008
Appointed byArnold Schwarzenegger
40th Mayor of Los Angeles
In office
July 1, 2001 – July 1, 2005
Preceded byRichard Riordan
Succeeded byAntonio Villaraigosa
39th Los Angeles City Attorney
In office
July 1, 1985 – July 1, 2001
Preceded byIra Reiner
Succeeded byRocky Delgadillo
5th City Controller of Los Angeles
In office
July 1, 1981 – July 1, 1985
Preceded byIra Reiner
Succeeded byRick Tuttle
Personal details
Born
James Kenneth Hahn

(1950-07-03) July 3, 1950 (age 74)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Monica Hahn
(m. 1983; sep. 2003)
Michelle L. Fleenor
(m. 2009)
RelationsKenneth (father)
Janice (sister)
Gordon (uncle)
Children2
Alma materPepperdine University (BA, JD)

James Kenneth Hahn (born July 3, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, Hahn was elected the 40th mayor of Los Angeles in 2001.[1] He served until 2005, at which time he was defeated in his bid for re-election.[2] Prior to his term as Mayor, Hahn served in several other capacities for the city of Los Angeles, including deputy city attorney (1975–1979), city controller (1981–1985) and city attorney (1985–2001).[3] Hahn is the only individual in the city's history to have been elected to all three citywide offices. He is currently a sitting judge on the Los Angeles County Superior Court.[4]

As Mayor, Hahn appointed Bill Bratton, the former NYPD Commissioner, as Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, opting not to renew Bernard Parks' second term as chief.[5] Bratton's appointment is widely seen as leading to the sharp declines in Los Angeles' crime rate and improved morale in the department.[6] Hahn also led the successful campaign to defeat secession in the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood, and San Pedro, thereby keeping Los Angeles intact. While he is noted primarily for these two accomplishments, they also helped lead to his unsuccessful re-election bid; African Americans upset at Parks' ousting and San Fernando Valley residents disappointed with the secession verdict had been the two constituencies that had propelled him to victory four years earlier in 2001.[7][8]

A member of the Hahn family of California, he is the brother of Los Angeles County Supervisor and former Congresswoman Janice Hahn, the nephew of former California State Assemblyman and Los Angeles City Councilman Gordon Hahn and the son of former Los Angeles City Councilman and long-time Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn.[9]

  1. ^ "Hahn wins Los Angeles mayor's race". CNN. June 6, 2001.
  2. ^ Finnegan, Michael; Barabak, Mark Z. (18 May 2005). "Villaraigosa Landslide". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 May 2005.
  3. ^ "Profile: James K. Hahn". Los Angeles Times. 3 June 2001. Retrieved 3 June 2001.
  4. ^ Karlamangla, Soumya (4 September 2014). "L.A. City Hall East building renamed for former Mayor James K. Hahn". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
  5. ^ Dunphy, Jack (May 15, 2005). "Bratton: Cop or Candidate?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2020-06-09.
  6. ^ Nagourney, Adam (August 12, 2011). "In Los Angeles, a Police Force Transformed". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Roderick, Kevin (September 2004). "On Hold: Why Mayor Jim Hahn's In Danger of Losing His Job, When He Should Be the Favorite". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved 1 September 2004.
  8. ^ Caruso, Rick. "Op-Ed: James Hahn: An L.A. mayor to remember". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 3 September 2014.
  9. ^ Simon, Danny. "The Hahn Legacy Continues". Random Lengths News. Retrieved 6 August 2015.